ASHES TO ASHES 3.3

WRITER: Julie Rutterford
DIRECTOR: Alrick Riley
GUEST CAST: Joseph Long, Geff Francis, Joe Absolom, Henry Garrett, Katie Lyons, Charlie Wernham & Robert Gwilym

[SPOILERS] As usual, the week's investigation of an arsonist targeting polling stations on the eve of the 1983 General Election didn't enthral me, although the story worked well as a way to explore the masculinity of Ray (Dean Andrews), who despite being a regular on the show since Life On Mars, has barely been anything but a cocky caricature.

Julie Rutterford's script gave Ray some belated depth, after a moment of uncharacteristic bravery at the scene of a polling station fire, after which he had to be rescued himself by fireman Andy Smith (Joe Absolom). CID busied themselves trying to predict where the arsonist would strike next, but it was a little obvious Falklands vet Andy Smith would be the prime culprit, or at least closely tied to the outcome, as he was one of only three guest stars in the entire episode and by far the most famous. I've often lamented the way cop shows handle their plots in this regard, as it's so often the most recognisable actor who's exposed as the villain. There were a few moments of doubt thrown our way halfway through, sure, but ultimately things panned out as you expected from the second you saw the ex-EastEnder.

More interesting were all the sci-fi flourishes, of course. Jim Keats (Daniel Mays) is obviously locked in some kind of battle for the "souls" of the main characters, trying to lure them away from the clutches of Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) whose gravity they're all orbiting. Like last week's episode focusing on Shaz (Montserrat Lombard), Keats again spent half of his screentime feeding Ray encouragement to choose his own path and become less dependent on "the guv". Right now, I'm glad we're not sure if Keats is bad or good, which is just as well, but I'm not sure I like the way the show wants to paint Gene as the despicable shadow that's keeping everyone down. Gene's the larger-than-life character everyone watches the show for, so to keep having it suggested he's actually the series villain (it's now inferred he shot Sam Tyler, too) is a little frustrating. But I suspect Keats' antagonism of Gene is more for Alex's benefit, as he's essentially poisoning her mind against him as part of a longer game.

But this was definitely more of a showcase for Dean Andrews, who put in his best ever performance as Ray and turned the final standoff between himself and Andy into gripping TV. Seeing Ray unburden himself over his "daddy issues" (he always felt his father thought he was a failure for not joining the army) was a really nice moment, very well-played by Andrews. And it was intriguing to see Ray given the peculiar "blackout" visual where David Bowie's "Life On Mars" starts to play, as happened to Shaz last time. These blackouts seem to signify a moment when a character's made something of a psychological breakthrough, but I'm not sure if they symbolize a success for Keats or Gene -- as the Devil/God figures.

Asides

• So now both Alex (Keeley Hawes) and Shaz are doodling stars in their spare time, and Shaz reveals she's also seen a blanket of stars outside her window, similar to those Alex witnessed in the alleyway last week. Is this a hint that the answers behind Ashes To Ashes are cosmic in nature?
• Interesting to note the symbolism of Ray's character starting to change once he'd braved some hellish flames.
• Is Keats' quoting of John Donne's Meditation 17 (.."any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee..") of significance? Is Keats trying to diminish Gene by "killing" everyone's reliance on him? Is this in turn suggesting the world of Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes are of Gene's construction, but he needs people like Sam Tyler and Alex Drake to sustain them?

16 APRIL 2010: BBC1/HD, 9PM